longitude and latitude

Today in class we talked about longitude and latitude on a map. We also learned about why we have different time zones. These are some notes:

• geographic grid: a system of imaginary arcs drawn in a grid pattern on Earth's surface
• meridians: drawn between the north and south poles (longitude 0 to 180 degrees)
• parallels: arcs drawn parallel to the equator (latitude 0 to 90 degrees)

the points on Earth's surface can be communicated by referencing latitude and longitude

• for example, Denver is 40 degrees North Latitude and 105 degrees West Longitude

further accuracy can be obtained by dividing each degree into 60 minutes and each minute into 60 seconds

Earth telling time

• Earth as a sphere is divided into 360 degrees of longitude
• divide 360 degrees by 24 time zones, which equals 15 degrees
• each 15 degree band of longitude has a certain time zone

Greenwich Mean Time is 

• located at the prime meridian 

• it passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich England 

•  it is the master reference of time for all points on Earth